Locomotive stoker



April 13, 1937. W. T. CAPPS LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Filed April l0, 1935 nNvENToR h/shmg'on T Cap/n.9 BY v ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 13, 1937 UNITED sings awaits T QFFICE LOCMOTIVE STOKER of Delaware Application April l0,

4 Claims.

My invention relates generally to stokers for application to a locomotive andatender and more specically to stokers of the type comprising a plurality of fuel conveyors arranged with two 5 of the conveyors offset laterally from each other at their adjacent ends and having independent drive connections at their rearward ends.

The principal object of the invention resides in the provision of a stoker of the type described l in which the angular relation between the conveyors is substantially reduced and in which the fuel will be conveyed from the tender to the locomotive in the most direct course consistent with available space between the deck and frame l of the locomotive and tender. i

More specifically, the invention contemplates the provision of a Stoker having a fuel receiving conveyor on the tender, a fuel delivery conveyor on the locomotive, and an intermediate con- 20 veyor,the latter being offset laterally at one end from an adjacent end of one of the other conveyors and said adjacent end of that ccnveyor disposed at one side of the vertical medial plane of the locomotive and tender or at one 25 side of the vertical medial plane of the other of said conveyors, and wherein the intermediate conveyor and trough conveyor are in approximate horizontal alignment, and the delivery conveyor, trough conveyor and intermediate con- 30 Veyor each has its axis substantially parallel to the vertical medial plane of the locomotive and tender.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a specific embodiment as above wherein the rearward end of the intermediate conveyor is offset laterally from the forward end of the tender conveyor.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a specific embodiment as above 40 wherein the tender conveyor is disposed with the axis thereof at one side of and substantially parallel to the vertical medial plane of the tender. To the above and other ends the invention consists in the arrangement of parts and in their 45 relation and association one with the .other or in combination as hereinafter described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in

which,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal, vertical, central sec- 50 tion of adjacent portions of a locomotive and tender with the novel Stoker applied thereto and shown in elevation with parts broken away; and

Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe stokerv structure shown in Fig. 1.

On the drawing, the locomotive and tender are represented generally by the letters A and B, respectively, and the coupling member therebetween, permitting articulation when the locomotive and tender are rounding curves or passing 60 over switches and turntables, is designated by 1935, Serial No. 15,515

the letter C. The locomotive A comprises a frame lil, a boiler II provided with a hollow backwall I2 having a firing opening I3, and a rebox le. The tender B includes a frame I5, a fuel bin I6 having a floor I'i which is provided with a central longitudinally extending open'- ing I8.

Fuel is conveyed from the tender fuel bin to the iirebox It by stoker mechanism indicated generally at S. The stoker mechanism S includes the fuel receiving orr tender conveyor D mounted on the tender frame I5 beneath the fuel bin I6 to receive fuel through the opening I8, a delivery conveyor E mounted on the locomotive and an intermediate conveyor F.

The delivery conveyor E includes an inclinedconduit I9 communicating with the rebox I4 through the firing opening It, and an elevating or fuel delivery conveyor screw housed within the conduit I9 for delivering fuel to a distributing mea-ns 2l which is arranged to spread the fuel to all parts of the rebed. The conduit I9 and its elevating screw 20 are mounted soy that their respective axes lie substantially in the vertical medial plane of the locomotive and tender.

The fuel receiving or tender conveyor D includes the trough-like conduit Y22 and a conveyor screw 23 mounted therein for advancing-fuel therethrough. The trough-like conduit 22-and the conveyor screw 23 are so disposed on the tender that the axis of the conveyorscrew-23 lies at one side of and is parallel to the-vertical medial plane of the locomotive and tender. The tender conveyor D is also provided with a tubular portion 24 communicating with and extending forwardly from the open forward end of the trough-like conduit 22. A spherical member 25 is formed externally of the tubularA portion 24 and at the forward end thereof.

Fuel passes from the tender conveyor D to the delivery conveyor E through the intermediate conveyor F. The conveyor F includes a conduit 25 which has a sleeve 2l slidably mounted on its forward end, the sleeve 21 being received in a spherical flange 28 formed with the lower end of the inclined conduit i9. The rearward portion of the intermediate conduit 26 is provided with a laterally and rearwardly extendingY elbow 29 having a spherical flange 3B formed with its rearward end arranged to receive the spherical member 25. 'I'he connections justdescribed provide for the necessary articulation between the stoker conduit sections when the locomotive and tender are rounding curves` or passing over switches and turntables. Mounted within the intermediate conduit 26 is a conveyor screw 3|, the for-4 ward end of which is connected tothe elevatingV screw 2G by a universal joint 32; The intermediate conduit 25 and the intermediate conveyor screw 3| are so disposed that the intervlies substantially in the vertical medial plane of the locomotive and tender. The rearward end of the intermediate conduit 26 is provided with a cover 33 forming a bearing for the extended shaft 33a of the'conveyor screw 3|.

The drive means for the conveyor screws of I the Stoker includes the prime mover 34, a gear train 35 housed within the casing 36 at the rear of the trough 22, and suitable shafting which connects the prime mover 34 with the conveyor screws 23 and 3| for operating the same. The gear train 35 comprises the -main gear 31 loosely mounted on the shaft 38l of the conveyor screw 23, a pinion gear 39 which meshes with the main gear 31 and is driven directly by the prime mover 34 through the shaft 40, and a gear 4| meshing with the main gear 31 Y and yhaving operatively associated therewith a telescopic shaft 42 which is flexibly connected with the shaft 33a of the conveyor screw. 3| for operating the same. On one side, the main gear 3T carries clutch teeth 43 which are normally engaged by clutch teeth 44 of the clutch member`45.' The clutch member 45 is operatively mounted on the shaft 38 and slidable therealong by the shifting yoke 46 for selectively engaging or 'disengaging theV clutch teeth 43 and 44.

In the normal operation of the device, the clutch `member 45 is moved to a position causing the clutch teeth 44 to engage the clutch teeth 43, thereby operatively connecting the main gear 31 to theshaft 38. Operation of the prime mover 34 sets the entire gear train, 35 in motion whereby the main gear 31 rotates the conveyor screw 23 `and the gear 4 |.operates the conveyor screw 3| and its connected conveyor screw 20 by means Y of the driving shaft 42. Fuel drops through the openingV |8 into the trough 22 and isurged forwardly by the. screw 23 and Vthence laterally through the elbow 29 into the intermediate con-` duit 26. There the fuel is received by the screw 3|, which, together with its universally connected screw 20, conveys Yand elevates the fuel to the distributing means 2| for delivery to the flrebox.

At times extraneous material in thefuel will become lodged between the crusher k41 and the conveyor screw 23, rendering the entire conveying mechanism inoperative. The fireman may,

-by shifting the clutch 45, disengage the clutch teeth 44 from the clutchV teeth 43, thereby disconnecting the shaft 38 and the conveyor screw 23 from its operative relation with the gear train 35. The gear train 35, however, remains in operative relation with the conveyor screws 3| and 20 and fuel may continue to be delivered to the rebox by raising the hinged cover 48 over the hopper 49 formed in the inclined conduit 26 and manually introducing fuel into the hopper 49.

, 4I claim: Y 1. Ina locomotive and tender, a stoker comprising a rearward conduit section on the tender, a forward conduit section on the locomotive and an intermediate conduit Section said intermediateconduit `section being movably connected with Vsaid forward conduit section in end-to-end relation therewith and having its opposite end 2. In a locomotive and tender, a Stoker comprising a rearward conduit section on the tender,

a forward conduit section on the locomotive and an intermediate conduit section, said intermediate conduit section being movably connected with said forward conduit section in end-to-end relation therewith and having its opposite end offset laterally from and movably associated with said rearward conduit section, a screw section in each of said conduit sections, said screw sections being disposed in parallel vertical planes, the screw section in said rearward conduit section being mounted in any approximately Vhorizontal plane and offset laterally from the vertical medial plane of the locomotive and tender,

the screw section in said 'intermediate conduit section lying in said aforesaid horizontal plane' and being offset laterally from the screw section in said rearward conduit section. Y

3. In a locomotive and tender, a stoker comprising a rearward conduit section on the tender, a forward conduit section on the locomotive and Van intermediate conduit section, said intermediate conduit section being movably connected with said forward conduit section in endto-end relation therewithv and having its opposite end offset laterally from and movably associated withV said rearward conduit section, a screw section in each of said conduit sections, said screw sections being disposed in parallel proximately horizontal plane and offset laterally Y from and parallel to the vertical medial plane of the locomotive and tender, the screw'section in said intermediate conduit section lying in said aforesaid horizontal plane and being offset laterally from the screw section in said rearward conduit section.

, 4. In a locomotive and tender, a stoker comprising a rearward conduit section on the tender, a forward conduit section on the locomotive and an intermediate conduit section, said intermediate conduit section being movably connected with said forward conduit section in end-to-end relation therewith and having its opposite end offset laterally from and movably associated with said rearward conduit section, a screw section in each of said conduit sections, the axes of the screw sections in said forward conduit section and said intermediate conduit section lying in the vertical medial plane of the locomotive and tender andthe axis of the screw sectionin said rearward conduit section being offset-laterally fromand parallel with the vertical medial plane of the locomotive and tender, the screw section in said rearward conduit section being positioned in ari approximately horizontal plane and the screw section in said intermediate conduit section lying in the aforesaid horizontal plane.

WASHINGTON T. CAPPS. 

